A father and daughter enjoy opening day of trout season on French Creek near Wattsburg:

John Welch of Erie caught a 20 1/2-inch, 3 1/2-pound golden rainbow trout at Lake Pleasant on Saturday, the opening day of the statewide trout season.

FIRST DAY OF 2012 TROUT SEASON

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The opening day of trout season is hours away in most of Pennsylvania. Here are a series of tips for a better experience from Randy Leighton, deputy waterways conservation officer for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission:

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Trout stocking dates and times have changed for the basin ponds at Presque Isle State Park, Cascade Creek, Crooked Creek and two sections of Elk Creek.

The East Basin Pond and West Basin Pond at Presque Isle; Cascade Creek; and Crooked Creek will be stocked on April 17 at 2 p.m. instead of on April 24 at10 a.m. Volunteers or observers may meet the stocking truck at the Niagara boat launch parking lot at Presque Isle.

Elk Creek will be stocked April 18 at 1:45 p.m. instead of April 24 at 9:45 a.m. Meet at McKean Exit 39 off of Interstate 79.

The statewide trout season opening day is Saturday at 8 a.m. Check more preseason and in-season stocking schedules on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission site.

Trout-stocking times have been changed for Presque Isle State Park, Fairview’s Upper Gravel Pit and Conneaut Creek.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission staff now will stock brown trout April 10 at 2 p.m. at Presque Isle’s East Basin Pond, West Basin Pond and at the Upper Gravel Pit. Volunteers can meet the stocking trucks at Presque Isle’s Niagara boat launch.

Stocking had been scheduled to take place April 9 at 10 a.m. Anglers were to have met Fish and Boat Commission staff at the Upper Gravel Pit.

Conneaut Creek will be stocked April 13 at 2 p.m. instead of 10:30 a.m.

The trout fishing season opens April 14 at 8 a.m. in northwestern Pennsylvania and most of the rest of the state. The Fish and Boat Commission said approximately 3.2 million adult trout will be stocked in public waters open to public angling this year, more than half of them before opening day.

Erie’s Mark Bean called Thursday to say how terrific it was to see French Creek stocked with trout after doing without for three decades.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced earlier this year that preseason stocking would be resumed in a 3.9-mile section from the West Branch to the new York border. Volunteers slipped browns and rainbows in the creek Thursday after meeting the stocking truck at 9 a.m. at route 8 and 89.

Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photos of the morning’s activities:

Some brown trout fishing to get you primed for opening day:

Walk from Outside Bend Productions on Vimeo.

Four days. Four rivers. 1,150 road miles. One old dog. Enjoy a Pacific Northwest trout fishing road trip in 10 minutes from the comfort of your desk chair.

Mission Possible from Hooked Up Films on Vimeo.

Two major changes to the adult trout stocking program in northwestern Pennsylvania — one welcome, one not so much.

1. A 3.9-mile section of French Creek in Erie County will be stocked in the preseason with brown and rainbow trout. The stream section runs from the New York border to the confluence with the West Branch of French Creek.

2. A 2-9 section of Coffee Creek in Warren County has been removed from the stocking list. According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, it’s because of a combination of low angler use and poor access.

Not here, of course. But any trout in February is worth sharing.

King of the Herd from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.